


The Padd in the Back of the Wardrobe

by RachaelGold



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 21:18:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14410761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelGold/pseuds/RachaelGold
Summary: Kathryn has been keeping something from Chakotay and it's confession time.Setting: Mid season 4 and post Endgame





	1. Chapter 1

She’d brought it on herself by not dealing with this years before, but now she knew about the fledgling relationship between Chakotay and Seven, it could wait no longer. Because she expected that it was going to be very traumatic, she had spent long hours getting the important business with Starfleet out the way first. There had been a lot of extra work resulting from their sudden return to the Alpha Quadrant, so it was late by the time she left her Ready Room. She would have to see Chakotay alone, and she had an idea that he’d spent the evening with Seven. Was she still there? Entering her quarters, she asked the computer to locate the pair of them. To her relief, Chakotay was alone in his quarters. It was a small mercy at least. 

She wandered into her bedroom and removed her jacket and pips. She opened up her wardrobe and bent low. She dragged a few boxes and pairs of boots out the way and dug a padd out from the darkest recesses of the closet. It had been banished there for a long time, since the moment when she could no longer bear to catch sight of it every time she walked into her bedroom. 

She backed away, and slumped onto her bed. She surveyed it mournfully for a few minutes, before activating it. She only read the first few sentences, before her eyes were brimming with tears. She could read no more. It was too painful. What a fool she was to have left this so long! She wondered if she could take it straight to Tuvok, and never trouble Chakotay with it at all. But she knew he would find out. Somewhere along the line he would find out what she had done and be absolutely furious with her. Not to explain it to him now would be taking the coward’s way out. She dried her eyes and spent a few minutes tidying herself up before heading next door, padd in hand. 

She rang his chime with trepidation. This was so hard. 

"Come!" his distant voice rang out. She entered and found him relaxing in his lounge, glass in hand. He immediately read the wary expression on her face and felt concerned. "Kathryn?" 

"I need to talk to you. I have a confession to make." 

"Well, come in, sit down. Drink?" 

"No, I don’t think so, thank you. After what I’ve got to say to you, I don’t think you’ll be wanting me to stay very long." 

"Kathryn, what is it?" he asked anxiously. He thought she would be euphoric after finally getting them home. She came across the room and sat down opposite him, cradling the padd in her lap. 

"Chakotay, I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know if you’ll ever forgive me. Please believe I never intended to hurt you and I don’t even know if I can explain why I did it." 

"What is it, Kathryn?" he asked gently. 

"It’s this," she said proffering him the padd. "I never gave it to Tuvok to invoke." 

He took the padd, rather puzzled. He pressed his thumb on the button to activate it and gasped in sheer horror as he recognised the words which sprang into view. Words that had cut him to pieces years before. His head began to spin as he said, "Spirits, Kathryn. How could you do this to me?" 

* * *

  


Three and a half years earlier.

Deolothia: A rather attractive planet populated by tall, spindly, grey skinned humanoids. They all had whitish blond hair, green eyes and were warp-capable. This was the first planet they had come across for ages with the resources Voyager needed so desperately and there were no other likely candidates on long distance scanners. Fortunately, first contact had gone smoothly, and they seemed more than willing to trade. The Emperor had, however, insisted that the Captain and the First Officer both beamed down for the negotiations. Ordinarily, the two most senior officers would not leave the ship together, but they had been given no choice. 

A team consisting of Janeway and Chakotay, together with Ayala and Baxter as a security detail, beamed down to the surface. A tall, spindly, but genial man stepped forward from a group and introduced himself as Viceroy Remantua. 

"Welcome, most honoured guests. Welcome to the Citadel of Clii. I would be delighted to give you a tour of this building. It is our centre of government." They shook hands and the humans had to strain their necks to look into the faces of the Deolothians. 

Looking around, they saw that they were in a large dimly lit hall. The walls were built of large dark grey blocks of stone, and the whole place resembled a medieval castle on earth. 

They introduced themselves, and politely answered questions about their journey and home planet. Remantua explained that his Supreme Highness Emperor Lech was very anxious to meet them, but was momentarily detained. 

He then began to take them on a tour of the citadel, but not before they reluctantly had to surrender their weapons. There were numerous dark halls and corridors, decorated with large colourful banners almost like tapestries. The Viceroy explained that some had emblems of various prestigious families, and others depicted scenes of great historical importance. More and more the place seemed to resemble something out of the middle ages, if you ignored the obvious technologically advanced weaponry on show. They were shown beautiful gardens, with exotic plants, fountains and peacock-like birds strutting about. At one point, they were shown a magnificent view across the city through a window, too narrow to admit much light. It was evident that the citadel, as its name suggested, was perched atop a very high craggy mound, with sheer drops in all directions. There was one heavily guarded entrance, and Kathryn knew that the security team would be assessing it all with some alarm. 

The Viceroy proved to be a most cordial and charming host. He answered all their questions enthusiastically and asked probing questions about Voyager and the Federation with interest. 

After sixty minutes, Chakotay reported to Tuvok that all was well with the away team and they were shown rooms in which to relax and freshen up. They were each given very comfortable suites, consisting of a lounge, bedroom and a bathroom. The three men were shown rooms next door to each other, and Janeway was offered one a little farther down the hallway. They congregated in her room as some refreshments were brought by a servant, which Janeway noted was a man. 

When he left she said, "You realise we’ve yet to see a female, and, unless the intelligence team got it wrong, this is not a genderless society." Chakotay had begun to feel uneasy on the same point, and requested that Ayala and Baxter did some investigation work before the banquet, which was to be held in their honour in a couple of hours' time. They finished their drinks and the two were sent on their way. Chakotay snatched a precious hour alone with Kathryn, until he too left to ready himself for the evening’s activities. 

The four of them entered the dining room with a growing sense of unease. They had attempted to contact Voyager again, and this time had been unable to raise a signal. This in itself was not an uncommon occurrence but coupled with the fact that the security team had uncovered evidence that this was a society in which women were repressed, the signs were not good. Chakotay, ever mindful of Kathryn’s safety, was experiencing the greatest sense of disquiet, but hoped sincerely that their fears were unfounded. 

Wearing their dress uniforms, they entered the banquet hall. There was now a large crowd, and still there was not a woman among them. Viceroy Remantua came forward to greet them, and sincerely hoped that they had found their accommodations to their satisfaction. 

"Am I to be the only female guest?" Janeway asked. 

"Indeed, indeed. You have been afforded a rare privilege. Women are not normally allowed in the citadel, except for entertainment. But I do believe there will be some dancing later, so you will be joined by some ladies. I trust you will not feel uncomfortable. Ah, there is the Emperor. He has been so anxious to meet you. Let me introduce you…." 

A middle aged man dressed in glorious regalia was standing amongst his aides. Janeway recognised him as a man who had stood in the shadows behind the Viceroy, when they had first made contact through the viewscreen. Remantua guided the visitors forward to meet him. 

"Your Supreme Highness, may I present Commander Chakotay, Lieutenants Ayala and Baxter and Captain Janeway of the starship Voyager," he said and then bowed. The rest of the company then followed suit, as did the four visitors. 

Emperor Lech held out his hand in greeting firstly to the men. It would normally have been inappropriate for him not to greet the Captain first, but this was indeed a strange culture. He was smiling genially, but it was always difficult to be sure of facial expressions in an unfamiliar race. Generally, facial expressions across the universe conveyed similar messages, but one could never be too sure. 

Finally, he took Janeway’s hand, with a glint in his eye that Chakotay didn’t like, and kissed it. 

"I believe that is the customary way to greet a female in your culture. I look forward to hearing much more about how a woman gets to be the Captain of a starship." 

After this he conversed with Chakotay for a while, ignoring the Captain and the security team. Chakotay was beginning to feel annoyed that he appeared not accept Janeway’s seniority, but was appeased when he saw that Kathryn was to sit next to the Emperor at dinner. He found himself sitting much farther down the table with the Viceroy. 

The dinner was long and varied, with many courses. He found the conversation with the men around him stimulating, and he was natural storyteller himself. However, he surreptitiously glanced at Kathryn as often as he could. He could see the Emperor paying her the most devoted attention. He was talking and smiling at her, and Chakotay did not like the look in his eyes one bit. The Viceroy was glancing in their direction with some anxiety as well. Kathryn was doing an excellent job of responding diplomatically and feigning interest in the conversation. To all around her, she looked perfectly at ease. But Chakotay knew her well enough to tell that, despite appearances, she was both bored and uncomfortable. 

Kathryn was feeling so uncomfortable in fact, that she would not have been shocked to find the Emperor’s hand running up her thigh under the table. It was almost as if he was doing it mentally, not physically. She was grateful that she had decided to wear dress uniform tonight, instead of some revealing evening dress. 

After dinner, some entertainment was organised. A crowd of people entered the hall in colourful dress. Amongst them, the first women appeared, wearing bright long length skirts, but very skimpy tops. The women were very much shorter than their male counterparts, similar in height to human females. They bowed low before the Emperor, and then began a beautiful display of dancing, music and singing. The colours swirled hypnotically across the room as the music from the flutes and strings echoed hauntingly. Ayala and Baxter were absolutely captivated. Chakotay knew that he would have to have words with them about concentration and attention to duty. A difficult situation was developing by the minute, and their minds weren’t on the job. 

The entertainers left, and the diners rose from the table. At that moment, the Emperor excused himself and left Kathryn’s side. Chakotay sighed with relief and rushed over to speak to her. 

"I really don’t like the way that man is looking at you, Kathryn." 

"No. I don’t either. Damned appropriate name!" He was surprised at this. He thought she might argue that she was fine, and could handle the situation. The reality was that all four of them were extremely vulnerable, Kathryn most of all. 

"I think we’d better call the ship and get off this planet as soon as possible." 

"Round up Ayala and Baxter. Then call up Voyager and request a beam out." 

"Fine," he said, leaving to find the others. The plan was thwarted as soon as they found they were still unable to contact the ship. He told himself that Tuvok would by now be getting anxious, and working flat out to solve the communications problem. Ayala and Baxter were dispatched to various parts of the citadel, to see if they could raise the ship from elsewhere. He was staying put. There was no way he was letting Kathryn out of his sight. Right now, she was speaking happily to group of dignitaries, and he could tell from the posture of her back that she was perfectly comfortable. 

The Viceroy came over to speak to him. 

"You care a lot about your Captain, don’t you? I saw you watching her during the meal." Chakotay smiled, amused that he was so obvious that an alien, completely unfamiliar with human culture, could read him so easily. 

"Viceroy Remantua, that is an understatement of the greatest magnitude." 

"I thought so. It pains me to say this, but, Commander, I advise you to contact your ship and get her off our planet immediately. She is in danger." 

"We have been trying to contact to our ship for hours, but something must be blocking the signal." 

The Viceroy nodded. "The Emperor has the technology to do that. I will see if I can find anything out." 

"Thank you." 

Sometime later, the Emperor was back and monopolising Kathryn again. Chakotay was keeping a watchful eye from a distance. As he deflected attempts by any who came to engage him in long conversation, he remained alert to any signal from Kathryn that she needed him to intervene. None came. 

Viceroy Remantua returned, looking grim and uncertain. 

"I am afraid things are looking bad. I have ascertained that the Emperor has enabled blocking devices to prevent you from contacting or transporting to your ship. You are to be asked to stay the night." 

"That should not be a problem. I can stay the night with our Captain and watch over her…all three of us can, if necessary. And our ship will be doing everything possible to make contact with us." For a moment, Kathryn glanced across the crowded room, caught his eye and smiled at him. It was just one of those moments of silent communication that always warmed Chakotay’s heart, and kept them drawn inextricably together over the years. 

"I’m sorry. It’s not that simple. The Emperor has sent for two magistrates to perform a marriage ceremony." The alarm bells were not quite going off in Chakotay’s head, as he quite simply could not believe what he had just heard. 

"I beg your pardon?" 

"He intends to marry your Captain tonight." 

"It’s out of the question. She will not comply." 

"I’m afraid she has no choice." 

"How can she have no choice?" 

"A woman has no rights here. And, as I understand it, you have something called the Prime Directive, which compels you to abide by local laws." 

"It is a guide-line. We are very well prepared to break it for morally sound reasons. There is no way that the Federation would insist that our Captain would agree to such an morally reprehensible arrangement." 

"The laws of the Federation are not at issue here. It is our laws that are. I have explained to you that your Captain has no choice in the matter. Unless you can get her off the planet, there is nothing I can do to help you." 

"She will refuse to go through with it. Isn’t this a civilised society? It cannot condone enforced marriage. Women must be able to make their own choices." 

"Let me speak clearly. She will not be able to refuse." 

"Are you threatening us?" 

"Commander, we are not threatening you. The Captain is only in danger if she does not agree to the marriage. We adhere very strictly to the laws here." 

"And if she refuses?" 

"Commander, you must understand this. The penalty for an unmarried woman who refuses the advances of the Emperor is death." 

Shell-shocked, Chakotay said, "Well then, I think it’s time we went and discussed this with her. I wish to know her opinion on the matter." The Viceroy, for a moment, felt bemused that anyone should consider asking a woman her opinion, but then nodded. 

Chakotay crossed the room and prised Kathryn away from Lech. 

"Kathryn, I have found out something very disturbing. I need to inform you immediately." Turning to Lech, he said, "Emperor, if you wouldn’t mind.. I need to speak to my Captain." He placed his hand proprietarily on her back and steered her across the room away from the offensive emperor to rejoin the Viceroy. 

"Can we go somewhere private to discuss this? And have our two officers brought to us as soon as they return." 

"Of course," said the Viceroy leading them well away from the hall and eventually into a small unoccupied room. 

"Now, explain to her what you just told me!" Chakotay ordered the Viceroy, who was looking very uncomfortable. Chakotay watched Kathryn’s face as it first registered curiosity, then disbelief and finally absolute outrage. All the time, he kept his hand on her back, as if to reassure that he was not going to stand by and let this happen. The Viceroy explained the law to her, including the penalty for refusal. Death by firing squad. The Emperor had already been through twenty-seven wives, still had six of them. He favoured the exotic. Voyager’s Captain was an alien with creamy white skin, blue eyes and red hair. No one on this planet looked remotely like her and she was a woman of power. This was the height of mystery to the Deolothians. No woman had any power. The Emperor found this very intriguing, especially as the wielder of the power was very attractive. He would, most likely, be bored with his new wife after a few months, at which point a divorce would be granted, and they could go on their merry way. 

By now, Kathryn’s face was frighteningly pale, and Chakotay could feel the tension building up in her, like an ever tightening spring. He feared she would explode any minute. Instead, she wrenched herself out of his grip, and began pacing up and down the room, rubbing her temple with one hand. 

"Heads are going to roll when we get back to the ship," she roared at Chakotay. "How can the intelligence team have missed this? We have been sent into a difficult and dangerous situation, ill prepared to deal with it.. and all because security can’t do its homework!" Chakotay said nothing. He knew it was best to let her anger blow its course. She paced up and down for a while longer. 

She then stopped in front of the Viceroy. She knew that she had to exploit this partially sympathetic man, and glean as much information from him as possible. 

"We need to make contact with our ship. Can you do anything to assist us?" 

"Alas, I have neither the ability nor the authority to break through the Emperor’s defences. I am powerless to help you." 

"Can you return our weapons?" 

"To do so would alert the Emperor's men. They outnumber mine fifteen to one. Right now, their ignorance is to your advantage." 

"Escape routes? If even one of us can get outside, we can contact our ship." The Viceroy was looking rather unsure as to whether to address Janeway or Chakotay. He was very unused to having a conversation of any weight with a woman. That one should even be thinking strategically was completely alien to him. 

"I regret that the guards on the exits and the dungeons have been redoubled in the last hour. There is no way any of you could pass without being apprehended. I feel powerless to help you." 

"What about the roof?" 

"Guarded too. He has his men everywhere. He knows what he is doing." 

"Windows?" 

"Kathryn," Chakotay interjected. "Have you seen how far down it is? We have no rock climbing equipment." 

"It’s too risky," Remantua said. "My advice to you is to comply with our law. Time is running out. He means to do this quickly. The magistrates are on their way." 

Kathryn then fixed him with a deadly glare. "Know this. I will not, repeat not, agree to marry your Emperor. I would rather face the firing squad." Chakotay’s blood ran cold. The thought of Kathryn facing either eventuality chilled him to the core. She continued, "May I also remind you that the crew of my ship will be very aware by now that there is a problem down here. It will not be long before they take retaliatory action, if we do not return. The consequences for yourselves could be dire." 

The Viceroy was quailing in his boots. He had never been spoken to by a woman in that manner, and was well aware of the fire power of Voyager. He was a man of peace, but he knew that the Emperor would be more than willing to join in a fight, no matter what the odds. 

At that moment, Baxter came back reporting a complete lack of success at raising the ship. Ayala appeared soon after that with the same story. Both officers were horrified when apprised of the situation. Chakotay and Janeway were both mentally calculating the time it would take for Tuvok to decide to take action, and coming up with depressing results. So Ayala and Baxter were sent on their way to look for any equipment that might of use for climbing rocks, or for any escape routes they might have overlooked. 

The Viceroy offered to go too, but Chakotay ordered him to stay. He may have been going to help in searching for a solution, or he may have been about to warn his fellow aliens about what was happening. They could not take the risk of allowing him to leave. 

Kathryn and Chakotay were now both very quiet, thinking frantically. Something that was said earlier finally came to Chakotay. 

"You said the penalty for an unmarried woman who rejected the Emperor was death," he said, addressing the Viceroy. 

"That is correct." 

"What is the penalty for a married one?" The Viceroy drew a breath, seeing where this was leading, and beginning to smile. 

"There is no penalty. The Emperor cannot and will not make any demands of a married woman. The law is quite clear, and the penalties for breaking it severe. You don't want to know what the punishment for adultery is. There is no way he will contemplate flouting the law." 

"Then marry us." 

"The magistrates may be here by now. I can check.." 

"Will they agree to do it?" 

"They will, if you ask them, Commander, not the Captain. And if they believe your request to be genuine." 

Turning to Kathryn, Chakotay said, "I take it you are going to agree to this." 

"Absolutely," she said with relief. "Lead the way, Viceroy Remantua." 

He lead them out and swept along numerous corridors, until they came to a ceremonial hall, where two magistrates and a number of other officials were indeed already waiting. Kathryn, who had by now the good sense to say nothing at all, stood by while the men discussed their business. 

Chakotay explained to the two magistrates that he loved this woman very much, which was in fact the very truth, and had to marry her immediately. It seemed that what he said was exactly what they needed to hear. So preparations were made for the ceremony, rings were found and the necessary documents were prepared. The Viceroy dispatched people to find Ayala and Baxter, as the magistrates insisted on human witnesses as well as Deolothians. He sent others to put Emperor Lech off the scent. 

Five or ten agonising minutes passed, until everything and everybody was assembled. They took their places. 

There, in a stone cold grey room with colourful banners hanging from the rafters, two people knelt on blue cushions before a golden shrine and pledged their undying love for each other. Brown eyes stared into the depths of blue, silently speaking complete sincerity. Blue eyes did the same. Promises were made and rings were exchanged. No-one could have faulted the depth of feeling, nor the sincerity evidenced by the nuptial pair. 

A paper certificate of marriage was produced, and duly signed by both parties and the required witnesses. Chakotay folded it inside his jacket. 

Eyes met again, and Chakotay silently willed Kathryn to put on a good performance, as he leant in to brush her lips with his. He was thrilled to find her part her lips and allow his tongue to delve deep into her mouth. The kiss went on, deepening as he savoured the sweet sensation of tasting the woman he loved, his hand gently reaching behind her neck and pulling her to him. After a deliciously long and yet painfully too short time, they broke their embrace. The Deolothians around were clearly satisfied that this was no sham wedding. Ayala and Baxter, their eyes popping, were both feeling stunned by the display. But their red faces were nothing in comparison to the complexion of Emperor Lech, turning a curious purple as he burst through the doors. 

"What is the meaning of this?" 

The magistrates and Viceroy explained the ceremony that had just taken place, as the Emperor looked daggers at the assembled people. 

"So, you have tricked me. You will pay for this!" he stormed. He looked directly at the newly married couple. "Let me see the certificate!"

Reluctantly, Chakotay removed the document from his jacket, and handed it, via an intemediary, to the Emperor. 

Lech studied it with fiery eyes, as the assembly looked on in terrifying silence. Then he took it between his hands and prepared to tear it in two, although he hesitated on the brink of it. 

"May I remind you that what you have there is a legal document?" said Remantua, gently. The Emperor looked at him dangerously, disbelieving that the Viceroy would be so daring. "And there are at least twenty witnesses in the room." 

Lech began to back down. "I could order a divorce." 

"You could," returned Remantua. "But that would take at least ten days, and Voyager would most certainly have taken action to retrieve their personnel by then. There is no denying they have formidable firepower." 

Lech capilutated, thrusting the certificate back at Chakotay. "Then you'll regret this, Remantua. You have sided with the aliens to thwart me, and I have a long memory. A very long memory." 

With that, he turned on his heel and swept out of the room. 

"Thank-you," said Chakotay. "That was a brave thing you just did." 

"Foolish too," said Remantua, "but it was the right thing to do. Don’t worry. You’ll be quite safe now. There is no way he or his men will flout the law. He even designed it so that he could snatch brides away at the last minute for himself." 

Kathryn and Chakotay both thanked the magistrates for their help, and then Remantua once again. Profusely. He had been instrumental in giving them a way out. 

"I was glad to help. In a way, I feel responsible for this mess. If I’d had any idea that this would happen, I would not have invited you to visit us. I speak as a man who has been happily married to just one wife for a long time, and perhaps have a little more respect for women than some people around here. Chakotay, I advise you to take your wife back to the room you were given earlier. You will not be disturbed during the night, I will personally see to it. And I am sure you will find that communications with your ship will be restored before long. Tomorrow, the supplies you listed in your requirements will be transferred to you ship. Please accept my profound apologies. The Emperor is a difficult and powerful man." 

"I sincerely hope you haven't put yourself in danger for us." 

"I haven't done myself any favours, but I imagine it will not be long before he finds some new female interest to distract him. Besides, I do have a number of my own men to protect me. Pray, do not be anxious on my account." 

The four humans thanked him again and left for their accommodations. Chakotay warned Ayala and Baxter, that, if he found out that a word of what had happened had spread on board Voyager, he would have their guts for garters. 

They tentatively discussed all four of them sleeping in the same room, but in the end split into two pairs. They all sensed a decrease in the tension around them, so Ayala and Baxter headed off together to try and get some sleep, and Chakotay and Kathryn entered the room next door which had been earlier allocated to Chakotay. 

Inside the door, she leaned into him, as he enfolded her in his arms. 

"Thank you," she said simply. 

"My pleasure," he replied as he stroked her hair and drank in the pleasure of holding her so closely. They stood there a long time, enjoying the intimacy. She revelled in the sound of the strong reassuring beat of his heart and the comfort of his hands caressing her. 

"You should get some sleep." She pulled away and looked searchingly at his face. It conveyed a strong sense of love and concern. She smiled. 

"You are so good to me. I don’t know what I’d do without you." She kissed him on the cheek and headed to the bathroom. "Goodnight, Chakotay." 

Later, as he lay fighting sleep..he truly felt he needed to stay awake..he thought about how close they had come to disaster. What a responsibility it was to keep his Captain safe! As her First Officer, it wasn’t strictly his role to do so, but he had taken it upon himself almost unconsciously. Was it because she was a woman? He didn’t think he would be nearly so concerned if she were a man. But it wasn’t as simple as that. Men could get themselves in quite as many tricky and dangerous situations. And she had used her feminine wiles to great effect on many an occasion. No, it wasn’t that she was a woman. It was purely and simply that he loved her. 

He had had many a fantasy about being with Kathryn over the years. Not a one had ever had him sleeping on the sofa in the lounge on his wedding night.


	2. Chapter 2

As the morning dawned, Chakotay rose from the sofa. He had managed to stay awake for the majority of the night. He glanced into the bedroom for the fifth time and smiled fondly at the dishevelled sleeping form on the bed. Then he walked to the window and gazed out at the spectacular view. The town was waking and the sky was lightening. He could hear the strange dawn chorus, unique to this planet. Tapping on his communicator, he found that he could now raise the ship. He held a short conversation with Harry, then went immediately to rouse Kathryn. She quickly came to, and made her way to the bathroom to restore her smart appearance. Grabbing her uniform jacket, she came through to the lounge. 

"We have communications." 

"Good. Anything to report?" 

"No problems with the ship. They were working flat out to try to find out what’s been going on, and confirm that there was some artificial barrier to communications. Tuvok sent a second party to search for us, but, of course, they have been unable to make it into the citadel." 

"Please tell me he hasn’t sent any women." 

"I’m not sure. But the whole party is safely back on board, having gained intelligence from some of the Viceroy’s men that we were safe and sound. They were assured that they would have fully restored communications by this morning." 

"Kathryn, I want you back on that ship now. No arguments!" 

"Fine," she said, knowing full well that her presence could only be a hindrance to further negotiations. Chakotay had enough to worry about. "But I want the three of you back on board at the slightest hint of trouble. The supplies are important, but they are not worth lives." However, he knew how desperate they were for some things. In reality, not having the supplies could also cost lives. They had no idea where the next likely planet would be found. 

He tapped his comm badge. "Voyager, beam the Captain up, and inform me when you have her." Within seconds, Kathryn had shimmered out of existence. 

He heard the transporter operator say "Commander, we have her," and in the background Kathryn added, "I’m here, Commander. Now stop worrying! Good luck with the negotiations. Janeway out." 

On the ship, she strode to her quarters to freshen up, remove her ring and find a clean uniform. After that she headed for the Bridge. On entering, she demanded and received her reports. 

"Tom, as soon as the away team are back on board, I want you to break orbit and resume course." 

"Aye, Captain." 

Fixing Tuvok with a stare, she barked, "Tuvok, my ready room. Now!" He raised an eyebrow. He knew he was in for a hammering. 

* * *

Late in the day, Chakotay arrived back on the ship and went directly to speak to Kathryn in her ready room. He reported that the had got all the supplies they required, and got them cheaply. The Viceroy couldn’t do enough to help. He had treated them very graciously, and had not at all been surprised that Kathryn had left. There had been no sign whatsoever of the Emperor, who had likely disappeared late the night before. He had last been seen chasing the dancing girls. And he cheered Kathryn no end by reporting that he had made Ayala and Baxter do most of the work, seeing as they had proved less than useful as a security team the day before.

Kathryn congratulated him on a job well done and asked him to dinner in her quarters later. He accepted cheerfully. 

The dinner was very pleasant…Kathryn had replicated it, and he supplied the wine. Safely out of Deolothian space, they were able to see the funny side of the events, and chuckle over them. There was plenty of fodder there for teasing. 

After eating, they moved to the soft chairs, and the tone turned more serious. 

Kathryn sat down and placed a padd on the low table between them. 

"We need to deal with this immediately. I’ve had Tuvok working his butt off all day to get this done. He’s had some serious grovelling to do!" 

"Vulcans don’t grovel." 

"No, but this came pretty close." 

"What is it?" She looked at him as if surprised that he hadn’t already guessed. 

"Why, a divorce agreement of course. It just needs your thumbprint and security code. That’s all." He looked at her in horror. She was treating this so casually, as if it had no emotional impact at all. 

"That’s all? Married one day. Divorced the next? You can reduce something like this to just a technical matter?" he said, his voice beginning to tremble. She was a bit taken aback. 

"Chakotay. We were coerced. You know it would never have happened if we hadn’t been put in that difficult situation. I’m so grateful to you for what you did, but we have to undo it straight away." He stared at her coldly for a minute. His throat was constricting and he felt sick to the core. She pushed the padd towards him. He picked it up and attempted to read the words as they swam before his eyes. It stated, in lengthy legal jargon, that the marriage between Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay was to be deemed to be null and void. It cited that the vows had been made under duress. He dropped it heavily onto the table and looked at her sadly, unable to speak. 

"Chakotay, don’t make this difficult," she said, picking it up, scrolling down to where his thumbprint was needed and handing it to him again. He took it reluctantly, his hands now visibly shaking. He made to put his thumbprint on it, but stopped himself at the last moment. He threw it back down on the table, and stalked out of the room. Kathryn’s eyes stared after him in shock. 

* * *

She realised she had badly miscalculated, totally underestimated the depth of his feelings for her. She knew she should have handled it with much more sensitivity, and was very annoyed with herself. But she knew they had to get this out the way quickly. To delay would only cause him more pain. So she cleared away the dinner things, and paced the floor in her lounge for thirty minutes, in order to give him the space and time to calm down. Then, heaving a big regretful sigh, she lifted the padd, and headed to his quarters. She needed every ounce of her strength to stick to her guns.

She rang his chime and gained access to his lounge. He was slouching in a chair, and did not rise as she entered. 

"I apologise, Chakotay. I know I didn’t handle that very well. I don’t want to hurt you, but I do need to get this sorted out." 

He regarded her with mournful eyes. "Would it be so terrible?" he said, not defining what exactly it was, but she took it to mean the marriage. She walked forward and knelt on the floor just in front of him. She took his hand and gently squeezed it. 

"If we were anywhere else but in the Delta Quadrant…or if we were anybody else but the command team, I want you to know that I’d love to give it a shot. But, please understand that I cannot allow anything or anyone to get in the way of doing my duty…" 

"Duty? Duty? Does duty demand that we sacrifice our personal lives? We’re still forty or more years from home. Nobody could reasonably expect us to wait that long…" 

"I don’t expect you to wait that long. You don’t have to. But I’m the Captain. I do not have the luxury of pursuing personal happiness. My responsibility is to the ship and the crew, and to getting them home." 

"You can’t live all that time alone, Kathryn." 

"I assure you I can, if I have to. I’m used to it, seeing as I’m pretty much a disaster in the romance department. Besides I am still very optimistic that we’ll make it back much, much before forty years." 

"It’s not Mark, is it?" 

"No, it’s not Mark. I’m over him." 

"Do you have any feelings for me?" 

"Yes, Chakotay. Of course I do. I value your friendship very much. I would be devastated to find that this destroyed our friendship. Please promise me you won’t let that happen." 

"I won’t let that happen. You’re not alone, Kathryn." 

"Thank you, Chakotay. That means so much to me. Now, will you please authorise this. It’s best that we do it quickly. You and I both know that we were effectively forced to make those vows. But maybe one day, if things work out and we stay close, we will make them of our own free will. You never know…" He smiled sadly and took the padd that she had been cradling in her left arm. With a hand still shaking, he placed a smeary thumbprint at the appropriate place, then keyed in his personal security code. 

Handing it back to her, he said, "Kathryn, I want you to know something. I may have made those vows under duress, but I meant every single word." 

She nodded. "Thank you," she said, smiling sadly at him. Then she rose, and left him to his grief. She stumbled her way back to her quarters, and sank on her bed looking tearfully at the padd. So did I, Chakotay, she thought to herself. Every single word. She keyed in her security code.


	3. Chapter 3

The following morning, Chakotay had walked onto the Bridge to be greeted by a fond smile from Kathryn. As he sat in his seat, she reached across and squeezed his hand, as if to reaffirm their friendship. He relaxed, accepting the gesture as it was intended, and they never discussed the events that had occurred on Deolothia and afterwards ever again. It was simply too painful. Only five people aboard Voyager ever knew it had happened. 

And now, three and half years later, the whole ugly incident was swimming in Chakotay’s mind, as he surveyed the offensive padd Kathryn had handed to him. 

"Spirits, Kathryn. How could you do this to me? Are you telling me we’re still married?" Now that he thought about it, he realised that he should have had some sort of certification from Tuvok after it had been processed. 

"Yes, I’m afraid that is the case. I’m sorry. There is just no excuse for what I’ve done." 

"Damn right, there isn’t. I had every right to know about this. Now I find I’ve just spent three and half years unaware that I was married. Even had relationships! This is just unforgivable." 

"I know, I know. There is nothing I can say to undo what I did, or to make it up to you. So I’m not going to try. Just believe that I am very sorry." She looked so anguished as she spoke. "Just take it to Tuvok, and you’ll be free," she said, as she turned to leave. 

"Why the hell should I do your dirty work?" 

"Because you’re the one with the new relationship. This way you’ll be certain of where you stand." 

"New relationship?" he asked, speaking only to the door closing behind her back. 

He was fuming. This was no way to treat anybody. He’d had two, very fleeting relationships since the incident, both fizzling out before they’d really got started. Now he’d had a couple of dates with Seven. It was still too soon to tell if that was going to blossom into anything significant. Is that what she meant? 

It was an outrage that he’d been kept in the dark. How dare she? He’d long since lost hope of developing a relationship with Kathryn, but somehow through all the fights and the dramas, they had still managed to maintain their friendship and work as an effective command team. But now he knew what she had done, he wasn’t sure he could ever forgive her. Well, he had to get rid of her. He didn’t want her clinging on to him like a leech and sucking him dry. This had to go to Tuvok straight away. He stormed out of his room to find him. 

* * *

  
Though it was late, Tuvok was still in his office working on reports. He rang the chime and without waiting for an answer, ploughed straight into the room.

"Tuvok, I need you to process this immediately." 

"Come in, Commander. What can I do for you?" He took the padd from Chakotay’s hand and recognised it at once. 

"I take it the Captain concurs?" 

"Well, of course she damn well concurs. It was her idea in the first place." Tuvok was silent whilst he scrolled through the document, carefully re-reading it. 

Chakotay paced the floor impatiently. Tuvok lifted his eyes. "I suggest you remain calm, Commander. Your impatience will not enable me to proceed any more quickly. In fact, quite the reverse." Chakotay merely huffed and continued pacing the floor. 

After a few minutes, Tuvok stated, "I regret to inform you that I cannot invoke this ruling as it stands." 

"Why the hell not?" 

"Two reasons. Firstly, the grounds for the divorce are stated as being that the vows were made under duress." 

"Well, they were, weren’t they? You were obviously satisfied that that was the case three and a half years ago." 

"Precisely. Three and a half years ago. From a legal stand-point it is difficult to argue so long after the event that this was the case. For if it was, the parties concerned would surely have applied for an annulment long ago." 

"Well, I thought I had. That you haven’t had it all these years is that damned woman’s fault!" 

"Well, I can change the grounds. I have done most of the hard work already. It should be a simple matter to change this. It should not take me more than fifteen minutes. I will have to reword the document." 

"Then get on with it for goodness sake." 

"Very well." Tuvok spent a few minutes calling up and studying a legal directory on his computer. 

"Two choices here," he said after a long silence. "We could cite irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. There is however a drawback." 

"Which is?" 

"There is a mandatory ten week cooling off period from the date of the original application. You would not be officially divorced until that is over." 

"Unacceptable." 

"The alternative is non-consummation." Chakotay looked at Tuvok in some dismay. 

"Can that be invoked immediately?" 

"Certainly. So long as I am satisfied that it is indeed the case." 

"What would we have to do to prove it?" 

"Nothing. I am satisfied that it is." 

"Fine, do it!" Chakotay watched as Tuvok started work on the new document. "What was the second difficulty?" 

"It is of no consequence now. You will both have to authorise the new wording anyway." 

"What do you mean?" 

Tuvok handed the original back to Chakotay. "The Captain never imprinted the original. She entered her security code, but never added her thumbprint." 

Chakotay scrolled down to where Kathryn’s thumbprint should have been and found it to be blank. 

"Guess she made a mistake," he said rather more softly. 

* * *

  
Thirty minutes later, Chakotay was outside Kathryn’s quarters, requesting admission. As he entered, he saw a dispirited woman rise to greet him. A momentary flicker of hope crossed her face, until he informed her that he had come for her validation of the revised document. He had already completed his part.

She took the new padd without comment, and quickly scrolled through it as he stood over her. She raised an eyebrow at the revised wording, and it amazed him as ever that she could take in such dry legalistic wording so easily, and spot the changes. She keyed in her code and placed her thumb on the padd. Wordlessly, she handed it back to him. He started to leave, but turned back to her. 

"Why, Kathryn? Why didn’t you give it to Tuvok to process? You put me all through that pain, and then didn’t finish the job!" He could see her eyes were puffy. She had evidently been crying. 

She took a deep breath. "I guess…because I didn’t want it any more than you did." 

"And you just neglected to tell me?" 

"What can I say? I’m sorry, Chakotay." 

"And you let me start relationships totally unaware that I was married?" 

"I would have had it straight to Tuvok if there had been any hint of your embarking on anything serious." 

"Oh, so you do have some sort of conscience then! And there’s me thinking what a cold-hearted bitch you are!" He stared at her coldly. She wasn’t meeting his gaze. "What’s worse…you had relationships knowing you were married. That’s adultery in my book!" 

"Now, be fair, Chakotay. You can’t throw Jaffen at me. I had no idea what I was doing. I dropped him like a ton of bricks as soon as my memory was restored." 

"Kashyk?" he asked, throwing a disdainful look over her. 

"Nothing happened. I utilised his obvious attraction for me for the good of the ship. You understand that. I never slept with him!" 

"Michael Sullivan?" he said with a sneer. 

"Well, you could have a minor point there. In my defence, I can only say that I was hoping to elicit a little jealousy. More fool me! You positively encouraged me to go after him!" 

"Hah!" 

"It was fleeting, insignificant. Momentary madness, maybe. I was feeling very lonely at the time. Chakotay, there is no point in raking over all of this. It’s just too painful. I realised that I lost your love a long time ago. I hoped that I wouldn’t lose your friendship as well, but maybe it’s too much to ask." 

"Maybe it is." 

"Chakotay, please go. Take that vile thing and get rid of it!" she said nodding at the padd. 

"I’ll do just that. I can't bear the thought of being married to you for another second." He again made for the door. 

As he exited, he heard her mutter behind him, "The firing squad would have been less painful." 

* * *

  
He went to his quarters, feeling emotionally drained. He poured himself a Bajoran whisky, slapped the padd down on the floor and sank into a chair. And for the first time since he’d heard the news, he started to think instead of wage war against Kathryn.

At first, his mind raged at the awfulness of the situation, and the appalling way he had been treated by his best friend. Why on earth had she done this? Why? It wasn’t typical Kathryn behaviour. She usually liked to have all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed. She was most particular and normally did things by the book. And when it came to dealing with people, she was usually perfectly considerate and understanding. She was much more approachable than the majority of Starfleet Captains, although she could be tough when necessary. And he knew that many of the lower ranks revered her. 

They had had big fights over the years, but he knew she had put as much effort into rebuilding their relationship as he had. Whatever else he thought about her coldness, he could not deny that she valued their friendship as well as their professional relationship. So why would she do something like this? It didn’t add up. 

He tried to imagine her going away with the padd after he had imprinted it all those years ago. She had been so determined to get it done straight away, no matter how much it hurt him. Even he had to admit that it would have been more painful for him if she had delayed. Then she’d made that speech, about how one day they might be together, if they got home. If they got home? Well, now they were! 

She must have left him and gone back to her room instead of taking it to Tuvok. She must have looked at it, wondering what to do. And then she must have put off making a decision. Why? If the marriage had been of no significance to her, if it had meant nothing, she would have gone to Tuvok straight away. Got it over and done, and gone on with life. But she hadn’t. She’d put it off. Clearly it had been painful for her too. She had not been sure that she wanted to end the marriage. 

He wracked his brains. What was it she’d said earlier? _I didn’t want it any more than you._ What’s more he’d seen the expression on her face when he went to her quarters tonight. Hope. He couldn’t deny that he’d seen it. It was only fleeting, but he’d seen it. Spirits, it meant that she’d had much stronger feelings for him than he’d ever given her credit for. All these years, he’d put her down as uncaring. She hadn’t done this because she didn’t care about him. She’d done it because she did! And she’d only turned him away, because of her complete and utter dedication to her job. 

He got up and swapped his whisky for water. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that he needed a clear head to think this through. 

So, she’d cared about him. Was that strong enough to be called love? He didn’t know. And if she had loved him then, did she still now? Truthfully, he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. He hadn’t treated her in a very loving way recently. 

He cringed at the thought of the way he had spoken to her earlier. He should have been much more considerate of her feelings. He had called her cold-hearted. Well, who had really been cold-hearted this evening? He lifted the padd. It seemed to him that it held the key to his entire future. He scrolled through it idly, until he came to her thumbprint. With a jolt he noticed that her thumbprint was smeary, as smeary as his first thumbprint had been. It spoke of a shaky hand. Not her usual clean, crisp mark. Legally it was fine. The processor in the padd sampled the patterns and the DNA traces from the print, and would have rejected it already if its authenticity was doubtful. 

Did she love him? He very much doubted that if he went to ask her now, he’d get a straight honest answer. He’d probably hurt her too much. 

Did he still love her? He ran his mind over the last few years. He’d been hopelessly smitten for years. As he thought about it, he realised that he hadn’t stopped loving her, he’d simply lost hope somewhere along the line. And love without hope eventually fades away. When had hope died? It wasn’t the Equinox incident. He’d forgiven her that and the other fights they’d had. It wasn’t Kashyk, Jaffen or Sullivan. He’d shown a degree of unfaithfulness himself, most recently with Seven. You could call it that. Even if he hadn’t been aware that they were married, he had at least always acknowledged a tentative understanding between them. 

If he had to be brutally honest with himself, his hope had died the day he’d asked Tuvok to kill her. He’d never believed that she would ever forgive him enough. She’d allowed him to restore their friendship and their professional relationship. But he never thought that she would ever love him after that. No matter that he’d had no control over his actions. This whole thing was now a terrible mess, but he was as much to blame as she. For losing hope. 

Should he have given up on her? Her reactions this evening had suggested otherwise. Perhaps there was still hope. And just a small flicker of hope was more than enough to fully fan the flames. White hot! He did still love her. More than ever. So did she still love him? 

This could not be left till the morning. But before he troubled her again, he’d pick the mind of the one and only person that she might have confided in. Tuvok. 

* * *

  
It was gone 02.00 when he found Tuvok in his quarters. He was not asleep, but had been meditating.

When the door admitted Chakotay, padd in hand, he said, "Commander, I realise you are anxious to conclude your business, but it is now very late and I will not be processing your divorce until the morning." 

"That’s not why I’m here." 

"Then perhaps you would care to explain yourself. Please, sit down." 

After sitting he said, "Tuvok, you drew up the original document. Did it not seem strange to you that the Captain never brought it to you to process?" 

"Indeed. And I did ask her about it." 

"What did she tell you?" 

Tuvok looked uncomfortable for a moment, as if weighing up how much to say. 

"She said that you were both undecided whether you wanted to proceed, and that she would let me have it if and when you decided to go ahead." 

"Is that all?" 

"That is all she said. I never asked her about it again." 

"Weren’t you at all curious, Tuvok?" 

"Curious, Commander?" 

"About why she did it. And why she didn’t inform me. And why two apparently married people were living apart?" 

Tuvok was silent for a moment. "I was unaware that you didn’t know. I had no reason to bring up the subject, being of the opinion that you both found the whole episode disturbing." 

"And the rest?" 

"I would imagine the reason that she did not want to proceed was because she did love you." 

"Has she ever told you that?" 

Tuvok hesitated again. "It is not necessary for her to have told me. Remember, I have had mind melds with both of you. Whilst anything I learn during a mind meld is strictly confidential, I should point out that it is not possible for anyone to hide emotions of such magnitude from me." 

"So she loves me?" Chakotay said hopefully. 

"I did not say that. You may infer what you will. All I can say is that I am fully aware of the emotions she, well both of you, exhibited at the time." 

"So why didn’t she act on it? I always thought that the crew would have accepted a relationship between us. Starfleet regulations could hardly be expected to apply in our situation." 

"The regulations meant a lot to her, but it was mostly because of her complete devotion to duty. The welfare of the crew and getting them home had to be her one and only focus. She would not allow anything to get in the way, even if the cost was her personal happiness. She was also afraid that if the relationship didn’t work it could be catastrophic for the ship." Chakotay was quiet. It was exactly what he'd known in his heart of hearts anyway. She had tried to tell him. He’d spent years focusing on what this relationship was costing him. Rarely had he ever considered what it was costing her. 

"Maybe we are both too stubborn and argumentative to make a success of a relationship." 

"On the contrary, I think the pair of you have shown the resilience and strength of your relationship in the way you have worked through your difficulties over the years." 

Chakotay looked at Tuvok in surprise. "When did you get to be so wise about human emotions?" After a pause, he added, almost to himself, "I wonder if she still loves me." 

"I think you should ask her that," said Tuvok sensibly. 

* * *

  
He wandered slowly to her room. He knew she would most likely be awake. Who could sleep after all the trauma? But he was worried about what sort of reception he would get.

He rang her chime. No answer. Rang again. 

"Chakotay to Janeway. Let me in Kathryn, please." No response. A surge of anxiety ran through him. She wouldn’t do anything stupid would she? He keyed in his over-ride code. 

Although the place was almost completely dark, he immediately sensed that she was not in the lounge. 

"Computer, raise lights ten percent," he said, dropping the padd onto the low table, and heading for her bedroom. There he saw her huddled on her bed in the darkness. She was wearing a silky nightgown, her hair still wet from a shower. She had her back to him, her knees clasped to her chest. The fingers of one hand were twisting a wedding ring over and over. 

As he surveyed the dejected figure, he had a strong sense that he was coming home. Like a ship that has been tossed about in the most terrifying of storms at last reaching port. And like Voyager finally making it through the turbulence of the transwarp hub to reach earth. He watched as she shuddered. 

"Kathryn, I’m really sorry for how I spoke to you earlier. I need to talk to you." Dropping onto the bed behind her, he put a comforting hand on her bare shoulder. She flinched. 

In a deathly low voice, the one she occasionally used to reduce hapless ensigns to jelly, she said, "I don’t want your apology, Chakotay. I don’t want your pity. And I certainly don’t want your misguided sense of loyalty. So will you please go." 

"No. Not until I’ve said what I came to say." 

She said nothing. Somehow he found the strength to continue. "I came to tell my wife that I love her." 

For a few moments, Kathryn absorbed what he had said. 

"Do you mean that?" 

"With all my heart." He heard a loud sob, then she turned and buried her face in his chest, as he enfolded her in his arms. Tears fell freely. From both of them. 

When she had calmed, he said, "Go and tidy yourself up and come through into the lounge, then we can talk. I’ll make you a drink." She nodded. "What would you like? Coffee? Vulcan spice tea?" 

"Chocolate." 

"Fine, chocolate it is." He rose and went through to use her replicator. He heard her go through into the bathroom, wash and use the hair dryer. When she came through into the lounge, she had pulled a matching silk dressing gown over her nightdress. She looked as if she’d been through the mill, but she looked composed. She curled up onto the sofa, tucking her legs underneath and allowing her bare feet to protrude. Chakotay brought two mugs and sat beside her. He wanted to put his arm round her, but she had positioned herself so that he couldn’t reach. She then caught sight of the padd on the table. 

"I have a confession to make. I haven’t taken it to Tuvok to process." 

"So I see." 

"And I still have something else rather precious," he said, pulling the slightly damp paper marriage certificate from his jacket pocket and placing it on the table. "So what do you say? Let’s talk this through and decide what we both really want. If we still want the divorce, we’ll both go together to Tuvok in the morning. If we don't, then we’ll erase this thing together." 

" ’Kay." 

So he told her how much he loved her, still loved her, and how life without her would be unbearable. When she asked about Seven, he told her that his feelings for Seven were of no significance at all compared to what he felt for her. In fact, he realised that he hadn’t even given Seven a second thought all night. Seven had quite simply not come into the equation. He began to run his hand softly over her feet and calves. 

Finally, she began to open up. She told him how much she loved him. How she’d always hoped they’d get home before it was too late for their relationship. 

"Kathryn, it’s not too late," he said softly. 

"No, it’s not," she said, smiling for the first time in hours. He opened his arms in invitation. Without hesitation, she snuggled into him. And then their lips met in a long, sensual kiss, every bit as delicious as the one they’d had years before, but holding much more promise for the future. 

When they broke off, Chakotay said, "You know, I can think of a very easy and delightful way to render that document null and void!" 

Catching his meaning immediately, she said, "So can I." 

"But we’d have to explain it to Tuvok." 

"Oh, he’d know." 

"Really?" 

"You’d be amazed at the subtle signals he manages to pick up on!" 

"Guess we won’t have to explain it to Tuvok then," he said, pulling her into another deep embrace, and thinking that tonight Tuvok had gone up in his estimation considerably. 

"Did I tell you I love you, Kathryn Janeway?" 

"Only about a hundred times. Not nearly enough!" 

More kissing and exploration followed until Chakotay checked the chronometer. It was nearly 04.30. He began to peel himself away from her. 

"Well now, I think I am going to get my wife some breakfast. I’ll bet she hasn’t eaten anything since lunch time yesterday." Kathryn was a little surprised at this. 

"Um, no, she hasn’t." 

"Exactly. Then I’m going to take her in the bedroom, and make love to her." 

"In that order?" 

He smiled tenderly at her. "In that order!" He paused, enjoying her consternation, and added, "When we get in there, we aren't coming out for a long time!" 

"Okay, husband," she smiled in response. "Perhaps I’ll notify Tuvok that he’s in charge today, and give us both the day off. We both had long stressful days yesterday, and neither of us has had any sleep." 

"Smart move, Mrs. Chakotay." 

"I think so." 

"But I can think of something better to do than catch up on sleep." He kissed her passionately. It was full of promise of what was to come. "And I should warn you…Tuvok hasn’t had much sleep either. I’ve bothered him twice with that wretched padd…the last time at 02.00 hours!" 

"Maybe Harry could stay on a bit longer after gamma shift." 

"The poor guy missed all the celebrations last night to be on duty, and Tom has had one hell of a time over the last 24 hours. Bet he’s had no sleep at all. I can’t imagine he’s ready for a long shift." 

"I wouldn’t trust him with the Bridge, even if he was." 

He sighed. "Well, I guess that means you and I will have to scrub up and get back on duty then. We’re all out of senior officers." 

"Not necessarily. I have an idea," she said, eyes dancing with amusement. "It’s not conventional. But then I never was the conventional captain!" 

"Kathryn?" 

"Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see the Admirals’ faces at 09.30, when they call us up and find the Emergency Command Hologram sitting in my chair!" 


End file.
